Last-slice holder.



]. HOPKINSON.

LAST SLICE HOLDER.-

APPLICATION FILED mm. 20. I917.

Patented Jan. 1, 1918.

JOSEPH HOPKINSON, OF DAYTON, OHIO,

PANY, 0F DAYTON,

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LAST-SLICE HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. L1, 1918..

Original application filed August 6, 1915, Serial No. 43,914. Divided and this application filer! Harsh so,

' 1917. Serial No. 155,998.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, J OSEPH Horirmson, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Last-Slice Holders, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. 1

This invention relates to certain new and useful. improvements in meat holders for meat slicing machines, and the present application is a divisional application of my copending application, Serial No. 43914, filed August 6,1915, and allowed October 25, 1916.

y improved meat holder is particularly adapted for holding the meat when the last slice is to be cut. Devices of this class are generally known as last slice holders, or meat end holders, and are substi tuted for the ordinar meat holders when butt ends of dried beef? sausage or bacon are to be sliced. The last slice holder grips the meat securely and allows the slicing machine to cut down to a very short distance from the end of the piece of meat. The use of last slice holders therefore effects a considerable economy to the user of a slicing machine, since it allows small pieces of meat to be sliced which ordinarily would be scrapped.

My device consists in certain improvements which ermit the meat to be quickly placed upon t e holder and after the meat is once in place it is securely held and prevented from accidentally slipping from position. In my improved holder the points of the meat retaining hooks or tangs are normally below the surface of the meat'plate. This arrangement prevents the operator injuring his hands in placing the holder in position and in placing the meat upon the holder. When the meat holder is in position on the slicing machine and during the meat clamping operation, means are provided to advance the tangs beyond the plane of the meat plate to thereby grip the meat.

In the drawings Figure 1 shows in elevation, my improved last slice holder. Certain parts of the plates are shown broken away to show the interior construction. a

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the holder shown in Fig. 1 with a broken away to show tion.

Fig. 3 shows a. modified method of attaching the tangs to the carrying studs.

In more detail, 10 is the meat plate, preferably attached by screws to abox like ame, having projecting therefrom the ears 11v which are apertured at 12. in placing the meat plate in position on the slicing machine, posts on the machine engage these portion of the casing the interior construeapertures in the ears and hold the frame and meat plate in proper position thereon.

In Figs. 1 and 2 theapertures 12 are shown as being round, but it will be understood that these apertures may be square as shown at 12* in Fig. 3, if the posts on the slicing. machine are square or rectangular cross section. The box like frame has an integral rear bored with form a number of coaxial holes to bearing supports for carrying. the

'studs 41., Intermediate the front and rear plates, each stud 4.1. has pinned thereto a collar 42, which has integrally secured thereplate 40. Plates 10 and 40 are to a pinion 43. The pinions as of the different studs mesh with one another as shown in Fig. 1. @ne particular stud 4a (namely 4-1) is extended a considerable distance beyond plate 40, and to this stud 4:1 is attached a knurled operatingknob 47.

Although in Fig. 1, I have shown only two rows of studs ll, namely row 1 and 2, it is obvious that any number of rows of these studs may be provided depending upon the size of the meatplate and upon the size of the piece of meatto be held. In my copending application heretofore referred to have shown four rows of these studs and I contemplate the use of anequal or greater number with the construction shown in this application. As all the studs ll have secured thereto pinions 43, which enmesh one another forming a complete gear train, it will be obvious upon-turning knob a? all of the studs 41 will be rotated. It will also be clear that the direction of rotation of studs in row 1 will be opposite to the direc- Q trainee The 10) is tion of the studs in the adjacent rows. front of each stud 41, (toward plate cut away to form a spiral tang which finally terminates at a sharp point -15. The tangs in row 1 are left hand spirals and those in row 2 are right hand spirals. If additional rows are added the tangs in the adjacent rows are alternately left and right as will be readily understood. The tangs are cut in this left and right hand manner on account of the opposite direction of rotation of the studs in the adjacent rows, and this arrangement grips the meat or bacon in a more secure manner than if the direction of rotation was the same as with the studs in the adjacent rows.

To advance and retract the tangs with respect to the meat plate, I employ a number of pins 46 which project upward from the bottom of plate 10 and engage the spiral slots formed in the studs 41 between adjoining convolutions of the tangs 44:. As these pins 46 are held in fixed position, they cause the tangs 44, the studs 41, pinions 43 and collar 42 to move relatively to the fixed plate 10 when the knob 47 is turned. It will be understood that when the parts are in normal position that the points 45 of the tangs 44 are below the surface of the plate 10. This prevents accidents in placing the last slice holder in position. In Fig. 2 the parts are shown in moved or advanced position, 2'. a, in the position they assume after the meat is secured to the tangs.

In the construction shown in Fig. 3, meat stud 41 is spirally slotted at its periphery to receive a spiral wire tang 44:. Meat plate 10 is similarly spirally slotted to receive the extending part of the spiral tang 4A. Consequently when the carrying stud 41 is rotated, the spiral tang itself becomes a thread and advances the stud ll and carries the point 45 of the tang away or toward the meat plate.

It is to be understood that'various modifications will occur to those skilled in the art, and what I claim as my invention is particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

l claim 1. In a last slice holder, in combination, a meat plate having a plurality of rows of apertures therein, a plurality of revoluble and axially slidable studs in said apertures, spiral tangs integral with said studs and projecting forwardly therefrom, a pinion on each of said studs, each said pinion intermeshing with another pinion upon another stud in such a manner as cause rotation of the studs in adjacent rows in opposite directions and rotation of all the studs of one row in the same direction. and means cobper'ating with the convolutions of the tangs to cause a co-axial advancing movement of the studs upon the rotation thereof and a concurrent rotation and projection of the tangs without the apertures in the meat plate.

2. In a last slice holder, in combination, a meat plate having a plurality of rows of apertures therein, revoluble and axially shiftable studs in said apertures, spiral tangs associated with the studs and projecting forwardly therefrom a back plate in which said studs are also journaled, a lengthy stud projecting rearwardl beyond the back plate, a handle thereon or rotat-. ing the said lengthy stud, a pinion on each of said studs, each said pinion intermeshing with an adjacent pinion in an adjoinin row whereby upon rotation of the handle all said studs in one row are rotated in one direction and means cooperating with convolutions of the tang-s for causing the tangs and studs to be axially advanced concurrently with the rotation thereof, whereby they project forwardly and engage the meat.

3. In a last slice holder, in combination, a meat plate, a back plate, studs jourraled in said plates, spiral tangs associated with said studs, intermeshing pinions secured to said studs to cause a unison rotation of said studs and tangs upon the rotation of a single stud, and means for rotating said studs in unison, said means comprising a stud projecting through the rear plate, a handle thereon adapted to be manually rotated, and means for advancing the points of the tangs relatively to the meat plate, said means comprising fixed pins coiiperating with the convolution of the tangs, and means whereby all the studs in an adjacent row are rotated in the reverse. direction.

4:. A last slice holder for slicing machines comprising a meat plate, a series of revolubly mounted studs having at one end thereof and cut from the metal of the studs spiral meat holding tangs, said studs and tangs being arranged in separate parallel columns, means for rotating said studs and tangs in unison and for rotating the studs and tangs in adjacent columns in opposite directions to engage the meat and hold the same against the meat plate and means cotiperating with the convolutions of the fangs and associated with a fixed partof the holder for causing the tangs to be advanced relatively to the meat plate upon the rotation thereof.

5. A last slice holder for slicing machines, comprising a meat plate, a series of revolubly mounted studs, each of said studs having at one end thereof and cut from the metal of the stud itself a spiral meat holding tang, means for rotating the studs and tangs in unison, and means associated with a fixed part of the device and cooperating with the convolutions of the tangs for causing the tangs to be advanced relatively to the meat plate upon the rotation thereof.

6. In a last slice holder, in combination, a plurality of rows of studs, the studs in one of the said rows being staggered in respect to the studs in the other row, pinions on each of the studs, each pinion intermeshing with a corresponding pinion in the adjacent row and therethrou'gh transmitting movement to an adjacent stud and pinion in the same 10W, means for rotating said pinions, spiral meat holdin tangs associated with said studs, a meat p ate through which the tangs are adapted to be projected, and 10 means associated with the meat plate and cooperating with the convolutions of the tangs for advancing the points of the tangs forwardly relative to the plane of the meat surface of the plate upon the rotatlon of the 15 studs.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JOSEPH HOPKINSON. 

